

| Subject: | Re: O2 Sensor voltage |
| From: | Mark Keller |
| Date: | Mon, 5 Feb 2001 09:44:41 -0700 |
In reference to David's comments at the bottom of this, let me clarify by modifying my statement to say that anything consistently outside of the range of .3-.8 volts needs to be corrected. As to the notion that the ECU adds fuel pulse until the other trigger point is reached, I don't believe this is the case. Darrel would probably be a better source when he returns. In my observations it appears that the ECU has a sampling interval. In other words when a trigger point is reach, an injector pulse adjustment is made and then an interval before another adjustment is made. I say this because using both a LED type O2 tester, and a digital voltmeter during driving the blink rate of the LED was noticeably different and the voltage at times was with the .3 -.8 volt range for a number of seconds before the ECU made an adjustment. I surmised the ECU doesn't keep adding or taking away fuel until the other trigger point is reached but rather waits until O2 voltage again exceeds the parameter, and then the cycle is repeated. When troubleshooting the Fuel Injection system, an averaging Voltmeter is supposed to be used to see what the average O2 voltage is. When this type of averaging Voltmeter, with a memory is used, the lower, average and upper volt output of the O2 sensor, in closed loop of course, are obtainable. From my testing on my van the average low was .3 and high .8. I've found that it is easier for me adjust my fuel injection mixture by disconnect the O2 sensor to put the ECU in open loop and then monitor the O2 readings while driving. Using this method I can adjust spring tension , or in my case fuel pressure or wiper arm position, so that the ECU maintains the fuel mixture around a target voltage. I target at .7 volts. Then I reconnect my O2 sensor and consider that part of the injection system adjusted. Sincerely, Mark Keller 91 Carat and should be in the .5 volt range. Anything consistently above .8 or below .3 volts needs to be corrected. I'd be interested in expert opinion on this. The measurement range of the lambda sensor is so tiny that it really only indicates "perfect," "too rich," and "too lean" without giving any useful idea of how much. You can get lambda sensors with an extended range, but they cost many hundreds of dollars each, and wouldn't work properly with the ECU anyway. But if you were rich you could add one as a monitoring device to read out on a meter or LED bar graph. When the system is really tuned the O2 sensor will not crossover as rapidly as a system that is too rich, This is wrong. The ECU treats the lambda sensor as having only two states, too rich and too lean. Whichever way it finds, it kicks the mixture until it goes the other way, then kicks it back, repeat forever. This goes on many times a second at high rpm, and on an oscilloscope you could watch as it happens. If you stick a regular digital voltmeter on it you'll simply see a number that jumps around seemingly randomly, because the voltmeter integrates over a noticeable chunk of a second to get a reading. david David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation" ------------------------------
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